It's been raining for 4 days.

I can't take the rain anymore.

The mud is so deep that I got my car stuck twice at work, and our trailer jack-knifed and got stuck in the mud when we were at the racetrack yesterday. Thank god the track was sand and not dirt. Even so, the footing was so bad that we really couldn't do too much.

I learned an important lesson about riding on a race track: do not be behind anyone else. After 10 laps my horse and I were covered in sand. Sand in every oriface. Not so much.

Car reached 100,000 miles today. Maybe I'll treate it to a good cleaning. And some tire chains.

The real-estate agent came back again today. I'm thinking that I'll move out before it gets put on the market, it'll probably be kind of depressing to have to meet everyone who wants to buy the house I grew up in.

Does anyone else find this weird?

So it's the first weekend in December- a lot of people are buying their trees right now (indeed, I saw many cars with trees ontop while driving around today). If not this weekend, then certainly in the next two weeks.

Every year since I was young, my mother has bought our tree on the 23rd or the 24th. This results in two things:

1. Our tree is very poorly decorated
2. It is the saddest, most pathetic excuse for a tree you have ever laid eyes on

I remember as child, being dragged around from abandoned lot to abandoned lot on Christmas Eve, wondering why the hell we hadn't done this a few weeks before.

I confronted my mother about this earlier. It seems that family tradition > common sense.

Wow.

So there's this homeless (or at least I think he is) guy that my mom always gives money to when he knocks on the door. (This is funny, in a sad way, because she is almost broke, and I know he uses it to buy liquor, why else does he come by at midnight, reeking of alcohol, asking for $5?)

I get home from work anywhere from 7pm to 11:30pm- for the last 4 or 5 days, he has knocked on the door almost exacltly 2 minutes after I walk in, asking my mother if I can sell him cigarettes or give him a few dollars. Now, I am all for helping those less privilaged(sp) than myself, but this man is a mooch. He is definitely able-bodied, as he is hired for, and occasionally does light yardwork (it's rarely done well, and rediculously overpaid-like $50 to cut the 30'x30' lawn, uhh) but he chooses to knock on our door at all hours of the night - because of him I no longer answer the door for anyone - and beg for money and food.

Be respectful of people's privacy! Don't bother them at 3am asking for cigarettes.

Don't wait outside someone's house until they come home, then demand they give you things. That really makes me feel very unsafe.

Another few days of this and I am calling the police.

Not for any reason in particular. I just had a good day. Nothing too exciting or fantastic happened, except that I woke up sick as a dog, thought I'd only work for an hour or two, but ended up staying for 10 hours. Maybe I just feel happy that I didn't just run home and go to sleep at the first sign of fatigue (like I did on Thursday).

Our house goes on the market in 2 weeks. Looking for a townhouse in DC? It'll probably run you about $650,000- about 3x what was paid for it 12 years ago.

Brother is going back to school in 3 weeks. I cannot wait. I don't start until August though.

Dog
Tire chains
A whole new car, but that won't happen
CD Player for car
New jacket- one that's actually WARM and WATERPROOF
Waterproof boots
My saddle back >:(
Anything and everything from IKEA
DVD player. Or even a VCR actually
Tattoo

Of course there's other stuff but those are the big things.

10-1 it'll be a $100 gift certificate to Walmart or Costco.

I'm getting a horse. His name is Rally (pronounced 'Raleigh') and he is wonderful.

I won't elaborate, because if I do, I'll type for about an hour about how cute and fuzzy and sweet and nice he is.

I wonder if he will fit under my bed...

I heard today that a good friend of mine from Richmond was killed earlier today by a drunk driver.

Jesus Christ, what's happening? :(

RIP Pigeon.

Today was Sunday, which should have meant I was going foxhunting. I got to the barn around 11 and got a call on my cell from another member of the hunt, who told me that the son of the huntmaster had been killed yesterday in combat in Iraq. I'm not a huge fan of war in general, or of the military action in Iraq- but it never hit really close to home until today. Instead of hunting, all the members attended a 3 hour memorial service. I am angered and saddened by the loss of a friend who I grew up with- who was barely older than me- but I am even more sad for his father, who has been a great influence in the horse community in Maryland, and a mentor to me.

***

And in more depressing news, this tuesday marks the one year anniversary of my roommates murder in our apartment in Dupont circle.

***

:'o(

Got a few left- send a message to tommitweekah@yahoo.com if you want one

Yes, this has been a fantastic week

First, on Monday I *finally* got through to the college I want to attend next fall to determine if my previous acceptance is still valid. (I was accepted to start in 2003 but some *ahem* rather negative events occured, and I was not only unable to attend, I also neglected to call the school. Well, after about a month of being jerked around by the admissions office, I finally got my acceptance reinstated. Hurrah!

Second, I started a new job this week. I love it. I was not too happy with my old boss- she turned into a kind of umm psycho bitch. But she *did* find the new job for me. Instead of just working from 7am until 12, I am now working from 8-12, then from 5-11pm. I've been exhausted every night from the 5 hours of riding everyday but I think it'll work out, I just need to get into the swing of things- plus I still get my afternoon nap. The plan is to work there till I go off to school in the fall, so I get to compete in 50 and 100 mile races starting in February.

New boss is really cool- she reminds me of my first coach (who was fierce). She is so very very INTENSE. She works as a full time DA, takes care of 20 horses, teaches lessons every night, competes every weekend, and rides 4 hours a day. I want some of her magic super amphetamine :P

I wrote this in 2001 when I was in 11th Grade (golly she's just a baby)- it was untitled then and still is now. Won all kinds of awards for it but not a single person had a damn clue what it was about (: Read it and let me know what you think (do you know what it's about? heh)

Untitled

For endless hours
I quietly wait
like a black hole
miles away-
the free space
where you send the hidden things
as others come around.
The space here is too open for life
as we search through
and your footprints erased,
no one can hear
your screams here.

Past is dumped in
me when I'm empty
and finally disappears-
gone completely
fearful change
is permanent.

The security that comes
is priceless. But the price
is sometimes too much.

There are no more
traces
here
and the well-meaning housewife
sends a history away
into me.
It is permanent.

I am the null device
and I am hollow
and emotionless
in my daily chores,
everything: your past, your life,
your future
is now mine.

Copyright 2004 by Katie Ward

It used to be formatted all cool but /. won't let me do that ): so it looks kinda blah.

Okay something weird I've noticed recently. For years and years I was only metamoderating once a day- I assumed that was the norm- but recently, I've been able to MM about 10 (up to 25) times daily. Is this normal? It seems unfair for me to be the be-all/end-all judge of that many people (that's a couple hundred MM's daily). I don't mind really- it gives me a chance to click the little buttons and kill time, but I'm guessing this is not an intentional pat on the back for my MM skills.

Hmmmm....

Okay so I almost punched this lady at CVS today. *fumes*

Along with many people in the DC/Maryland area, I talk very fast and not too loud (this is definitely a regional thing), and I was at the counter and asked for cigarettes and the woman asked me to repeat myself about 5 times. Because I'm normally not bothered by that and I try to be friendly, I said something like, "oh yeah, my friends all tell me I talk really fast".

She glared at me and said, very condesendingly, "Yes. You do. Nobody can understand a damn word you say. It's not funny at ALL. How do you get through life behaving like that?"

I'm not one to make a scene about things (IMO it's easier to fly under the radar most of the time) but she got me PISSED OFF. But since I didn't particularly feel like making a huge scene, I just went and complained to the manager and she got fired.

Unemployment sucks but I can think of nobody more deserving.

Why be in a retail position when you're just going to harass the customers?

Even when I worked at Starbucks and came in at 6am to work after being out clubbing all night not wanting to talk to anyone, I was still friendly and nice to the customers because that's what I was paid to do. Gee....

These are dark, dark days for America.

I am not proud to be living in Washington, DC these days.

This is why I plan to help form Canada 2.0.

Please, join the Revolution.

So if you have unlimited free time, Percocet is fabulous. Absolutely.

But I woke up to go to work this morning after about 6 hours of sleep (not a ton, but I slept all weekend) and I could barely fucking move. I hadn't taken any meds for about 10 hours either. I have never felt so dead to the world.

So of course, I took another Percocet, called in sick, and went back to bed. What else would you expect of an ex-junkie :) (Side note: when the nurse at the ER gave me the prescription and samples and said "be careful you don't take too many at once since they ARE a narcotic" I almost burst out laughing. If only they knew.)

Haven't taken any more pills today but I am still in incredible pain. Oh well I think I'll be at work tomorrow definitely. Screw this shit I am too bored.

Also went and voted today after I woke up at 6:45 pm. Had to wait about an hour and 15 minutes to get in- JUST made it too (they closed at 8 in DC).

Gotta love this weather. Sunny and clear with a chance of a republican president.

Okay I lied I just took another perc so here is where I stop typing and go feel stoned for a while.